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punk
punk / pəngk/ • n. 1. inf. a worthless person (often used as a general term of abuse). ∎ a criminal or hoodlum. ∎ derog. (in prison slang) a passive male homosexual. ∎ an inexperienced young person; a novice. 2. (also punk rock) a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music, popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ∎ (also punk rock·er) an admirer or player of such music, typically characterized by colored spiked hair and clothing decorated with safety pins or zippers. 3. soft, crumbly wood that has been attacked by fungus, sometimes used as tinder. • adj. 1. inf. in poor or bad condition: I felt too punk to eat. 2. of or relating to punk rock and its associated subculture: a punk band a punk haircut. DERIVATIVES: punk·ish adj. punk·y adj. |
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Cite this article
"punk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "punk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-punk.html "punk." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-punk.html |
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punk
punk an admirer or player of a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music popular in the late 1970s, typically characterized by coloured spiked hair and clothing decorated with safety pins or zips; also, this form of music. The terms punk rocker and punk rock are also used.
The word is recorded from the late 17th century in the sense ‘soft crumbly wood that can be used as timber’, and from the early 20th century in the sense ‘a worthless person’; it may also be related to archaic punk ‘prostitute’ and spunk, ‘courage’. |
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "punk." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "punk." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-punk.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "punk." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-punk.html |
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punk
punk Term used to describe music and fashion of the mid-1970s, characterized by raw energy and iconoclasm. Heavily influenced by US bands, such as the New York Dolls, punk was pioneered in Britain by the Sex Pistols and The Clash. Often anti-establishment, the associated fashions in dress, hair and make-up were also designed to shock.
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"punk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "punk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-punk.html "punk." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-punk.html |
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punk
punk2 rotten wood, touchwood XVIII; something worthless XIX; person of no account XX. of unkn. orig.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-punk1.html T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-punk1.html |
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punk
punk1 (obs. or arch.) prostitute. XVI. of unkn. orig.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-punk.html T. F. HOAD. "punk." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-punk.html |
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punk
punk •bonk, clonk, conk, cronk, honk, Leblanc, pétanque, plonk, tronc, zonk
•honky-tonk • oink • Munch
•bunk, chunk, clunk, drunk, dunk, flunk, funk, gunk, hunk, junk, Monck, monk, plunk, punk, shrunk, skunk, slunk, spunk, stunk, sunk, thunk, trunk
•chipmunk • quidnunc • cyberpunk
•punch-drunk • countersunk
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Cite this article
"punk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "punk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-punk.html "punk." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-punk.html |
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